The Advocate

I finally finished listening to the season finale of local political and foodie podcast, The Marinade with Lee Thomas . For those who don't know, Lee is a former District 3 City Councilmember here in San Leandro - one of the few Black elected officials in our area - as well as a small business owner and budding entrepreneur.  I was happy to hear District 6 City Council Candidate Dylan Boldt speaking up to dispel the myths surrounding rent stabilization . (Something his opponent, Robert Bulatao, also enthusiastically supports.) Because of inflation and the high cost of living here in the Bay Area, rents are going up as much as 10% year over year. Meanwhile, most people's salaries are stagnant and they're already paying more than 1/3 of their income for rent as is! I think those skeptics, like Lee, should take a look at the broad-based movement from the Big Tent - San Leandro and the work we're doing on housing reform. As for Ed Hernandez , apparently, he's lying aga

The Big Tent calls on the City of San Leandro to implement housing reform immediately and to declare that there exists a housing emergency. Each year, housing scarcity and rents rising faster than wages cause many renters in the City of San Leandro to be evicted or priced out of their homes, resulting in housing turnover and unstable neighborhoods. This displacement damages our families and communities by increasing homelessness, food insecurity, pollution, mental illness, and lowering life expectancy. Community displacement hurts not only San Leandro’s residents; it also holds dire consequences for the resilience of our economy. San Leandro’s manufacturing employers, schools, and small businesses are already challenged in their effort to find adequately skilled, reliable, local workers. An insufficient workforce hurts business growth and San Leandro’s ability to increase revenues and improve our facilities and services. San Leandro’s housing supply was approximately 73% below its Regi

(Photo credit: Darin Moriki/Bay Area News Group) Failed former San Leandro City Councilman Ed Hernandez was recently reprimanded by departed City Manager, Fran Robustelli, for allegedly violating campaign finance rules. While this isn't the first time Hernadez has reportedly engaged in questionable behavior, it certainly is ironic coming from a guy who's spent years complaining about mismanagement at city hall. Here's the scoop from The San Leandro Advocate, courtesy of a confidential source: *** "Dear Mr. Hernandez: I write to inform you that the City received several complaints from residents who attended the Cherry Festival parade that you and volunteers related to your campaign for a City Council seat were engaged in campaign activities during the Cherry Festival parade. As I trust you are aware as a public official, under California law it is illegal to use public funds for any campaigns, whether to support or oppose ballot measures or candidates for office. T

Credit to the Bay Area News Group and The San Francisco Chronicle . "San Leandro to pay $3.9 million settlement amid claims officers beat, tased mentally disabled man in 2019. The settlement marks at least the sixth time either officer has been sued over their actions as police officers in the East Bay San Leandro is expected to pay $3.9 million to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit claiming the city’s police officers brutally beat a mentally disabled man in 2019, causing his brain to bleed so badly that he suffered repeated strokes. The city’s payout comes nearly five years after Sorrell Shiflett, 37, was tased and bludgeoned by two San Leandro police officers while walking with his cousin through a neighborhood in search of a friend’s house, according to the federal lawsuit. The case marks at least the sixth time that either officer — Ismael Navarro or Anthony Pantoja — has been named in a lawsuit claiming they acted violently while working for multiple police departments ac

It happened in San Leandro back in 2011 with Dewayne Stancill . A highly regarded Black police officer forced out because of racism, politics, and corruption. Now, here we are in 2024 having deja vu. Former SLPD Chief Abdul Pridgen has been fired by the city under, to put it mildly, suspicious circumstances without any actual evidence of wrongdoing having been provided with the specter of expensive litigation looming ahead. I guess I'll weigh in on this with what I know, especially now that Pridgen is officially out. What I have learned is based on information from my own sources, some of whom took great risks to reach out to me, so I can't even share all of what they told me, let alone independently verify all of it. At the same time, because the city is point-blank refusing to release responsive records under the California Public Records Act, despite repeated attempts to get them to do so, even what has been shared publicly is difficult to confirm or deny. So, please, like

Before October 7, 2023, I was a proud progressive Jew here in San Leandro. Before October 7, I was a friend of our local Social Justice Academy and our resident Democratic Socialists of America chapter. Before October 7, I never would have believed that Jews were endangered by leftist antisemitism . After October 7, I learned how very wrong I was. In the wake of the Hamas massacre, fallen friends and alleged allies turned their backs. People I've stood with for police reform, housing, healthcare, and social justice here in San Leandro now embrace antisemitism, tokenization, and conspiracy theories, promoting the very same bigotry they claim to oppose. Just as we have seen in Oakland, Richmond, Berkeley, and San Francisco , the cause of Palestinian liberation has been hijacked for divisive attacks on Jewish people rather than advocating for peace and the sanctity of human life. I write publicly now because as Rabbi Abraham Kook taught, "I don't speak because I have the pow

The Big Tent: Founding Charter The Big Tent is a non-partisan group of community leaders, activists, and everyday folks committed to advocating for shared values and political organizing in the City of San Leandro. We are an inclusive collection of advocates from different backgrounds, platforms, and opinions working together towards mutual goals while supporting the individual success of our partners. We will serve as a communication and organizing hub with other local organizations on policy initiatives, civic education, public outreach, and similar efforts to build a better San Leandro. The Big Tent envisions revitalizing existing networks and reconnecting them to become catalysts for systemic change. Organizing Principle Social and Economic Justice Values Civil Rights Diversity Equity Inclusion Policies Public Safety Housing and Homelessness Healthcare and Wellness Economic and Workforce Development (Jobs) City Gov’t Charter and Election Reform Public Education and Schools The Envi